how do adolescents define depression? - cIRcle - University of ...

Chapter II: Literature Review
The fifth, higher Level of social perspective coordination in each psychosocial
competency was not included in Table 1. It is not part of the 4 + Relationship Questionnaire
because the complexity of the competencies at this developmental level are difficult to capture in
multiple-choice answers and this level develops in response to life tasks faced in later
adolescence and adulthood (Schultz et al., 2003). The age range of the fifth level includes 15 to
18 year olds and it follows the same headings as Table 1 to determine interpersonal
understanding (societal-symbolic agreement between subjects), interpersonal negotiation
(showing collaborative strategies), and personal meaning (need-based or integrated awareness of
relationships) (Schultz et al., 2003).
In sum, persons achieve psychosocial competence as their capacity (social cognition) to
coordinate and gain perspective on the relation between their own and others' points of view
grows (Schultz & Selman, 2000b). These conceptions, central to the individuals' social
functioning, shape human behavior (Schultz et al., 2001). Selman (2003) reports that "the degree
of awareness of personal meaning serves as the linchpin between the individual's understanding
of factual knowledge and his or her actual behavior -- and between adolescents' perspectives on
risk and relationships" (p. 59).
Studies that concentrate on difficulties in social relationships linked with adolescent
depression often use general and vague terms to define the awareness of interpersonal
relationships (e.g., lack of self-belonging, maladaptive coping patterns, behavioral inhibition,
social information processing deficit). Perhaps, using social perspective coordination to
differentiate individuals' capacity for social-cognitive development can introduce a distinction
that applies more specifically to depressive symptomatology.
Understanding Emotions and Links to Depressive Symptomatology
Emotional disorder (Angold & Costello, 2001) is one of the terms used in the current
literature to define depression in adolescents, yet little is known of emotional development and
even less of its relationship to depressive symptomatology. Studies support the premise that
competence in social relationships depends upon the ability to read emotions in others (Schultz,
Izard, & Ackerman, 2001; Terwogt & Stegge, 2001) and to understand our own emotional
reactions. The ability to accurately discriminate emotions in facial expressions (Davidson,
Ekman, Saron, Senulis, and Friesen, 1990) is a critical component of successful social behavior
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